Senecio plant named ‘Sene Gosigore’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Senecio  plant named ‘Sene Gosigore’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are white in color and disc florets that are violet blue in color.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SENE GOSIGORE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sene Gosigore’.

The new Senecio plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright, uniformly mounding and vigorous Senecio plants with a freely-branching habit and numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Senecio plant originated from a cross pollination conducted by the Inventor in March, 2012 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code number S10-97E1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code number S10-56-1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since October, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sene Gosigore’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sene Gosigore’ as a new and distinct Senecio plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are white in         color and disc florets that are violet blue in color.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the new Senecio have white-colored ray florets whereas plants of the female parent selection have blue and white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the new Senecio have white-colored ray florets whereas plants of the male parent selection have blue-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can also be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus x Senecio heritieri ‘Sunsenelibubi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,191. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of ‘Sunsenelibubi’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio are not as upright as plants of         ‘Sunsenelibubi’.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio have larger leaves than plants of         ‘Sunsenelibubi’.     -   3. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenelibubi’ differ in ray         floret color as plants of the new Senecio have white-colored ray         florets whereas plants of ‘Sunsenelibubi’ have violet and white         bi-colored ray florets.     -   4. Plants of the new Senecio have shorter peduncles than plants         of ‘Sunsenelibubi’.     -   5. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenelibubi’ differ in         peduncle color as plants of the new Senecio have green-colored         peduncles whereas plants of ‘Sunsenelibubi’ have greyed         purple-colored peduncles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Gosigore’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Gosigore’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter and spring in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time. Plants were five months old when the photographs were taken and seven months old when the detailed description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus ‘Sene Gosigore’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code number S10-97E1, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code number S10-56-1, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at             temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly mounded             plant habit; daisy-type inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; freely branching habit; vigorous growth habit;             freely branching habit with about six primary lateral             branches with numerous secondary branches.         -   Plant height.—About 29 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 44 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter: About             3.8 mm. Internode length: About 2.8 cm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color:             Close to 144B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 7 cm. Width: About 7.1 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate to serrate, slightly             undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Sparsely pubescent; matte. Venation pattern: Pinnate;             reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close             to NN137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 194A.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A;             venation, close to 145B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 194A; venation, close to 145B. Leaf             petioles: Length: About 4.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.9 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 144D. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped             ray florets; inflorescences arising from upper leaf axils             and positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles;             disc and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences face mostly upright to slightly outwardly;             freely flowering habit with about 87 inflorescences             developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Senecio begin             flowering about 22 weeks after planting; plants flower             continuously from winter to late spring in Japan.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 cm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to NN155C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.2 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Diameter: About 6.2 mm. Height: About 1.7 mm.             Color: Close to 144C.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             3.3 cm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Obtuse,             praemorse or emarginate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Aspect: Initially upright, then horizontal; flat. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Shallowly ridged,             glabrous; matte. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to NN155C; color does not change with             development. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to NN155C; color does not change with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 6.9 mm. Diameter, at apex: About 1.8 mm.             Diameter, at base: About 1.3 mm. Number of disc floret per             inflorescence: About 101. Color, immature: Close to 92A.             Color, mature: Close to 90D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 14 per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             7 mm. Width: About 1.8 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Narrowly             acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to             143B; towards the apex, close to 143C. Color, lower surface:             Close to 137B; towards the apex, close to 144C; at the apex,             close to N77A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Sparsely             pubescent. Color: Distally, close to 137A; proximally, close             to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to             NN155C. Anther size: About 1.9 mm by 0.3 mm. Anther shape:             Narrowly ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to N92C and 3C.             Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 6A. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About             6.8 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to             N92C. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to             145D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   Disease & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Senecio have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Senecio plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sene Gosigore’ as illustrated and described. 